Nicholls and Pic D'Orhy primed for epic battle against L'Homme Presse at Ascot

Paul Nicholls is eagerly anticipating the challenge of competing against the highly-regarded L'Homme Presse in the Betfair Ascot Chase with his course regular, Pic D'Orhy.

The nine-year-old Grade One winner triumphed in the Noel Novices' Chase at Ascot in 2021 and benefited from Shishkin's refusal to start in the 1965 Chase earlier in the season. Having finished second to a resurgent Shishkin in the same Grade One event last year, Pic D'Orhy now aims to thwart not only L'Homme Presse's Cheltenham Festival aspirations but also those of Ahoy Senor and Dan Skelton's Sail Away.

Nicholls holds Venetia Williams' Gold Cup hopeful in high regard, particularly admiring the way she has brought him back from a lengthy setback. Nevertheless, Nicholls believes that Pic D'Orhy possesses enough favourable attributes to mount a strong challenge. While acknowledging the quality of L'Homme Presse, Nicholls highlights the form of his Lingfield victory, suggesting that it may have been slightly flattering given Protektorat's subsequent defeat to Hitman in the Denman Chase.

Fueling Nicholls' confidence is Pic D'Orhy's performances this season, notably, his narrow second-place finish in the Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton, where he encountered the in-form Irish raider Banbridge. Nicholls considers this display among his charge's finest, and he aims to secure a record fifth victory in a race he has previously won with illustrious horses like Kauto Star and Cyrname.

Pic D'Orhy competes in the colours of one of Nicholls' staunchest supporters, owner Johnny de la Hay. De la Hay has not only enjoyed success with established stars but also celebrated the impressive debut of his promising recruit Teeshan at Exeter. Teeshan's commanding seven-length victory has prompted bookmakers to shorten his odds for the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival, with some offering as low as 5-1.

However, Nicholls remains undecided about committing Teeshan to Cheltenham, expressing equal satisfaction with the performances of his other bumper winners, Quebecois and Joyau Allen. While Teeshan may receive an entry for Prestbury Park, Nicholls sees no issue with waiting an additional month for Aintree.

Nicholls concludes by mentioning Pic D'Orhy's recent workout and reaffirming the horse's consistent level of performance. With the desire to secure victory at Ascot, Nicholls aims to use the race as a stepping stone towards Aintree.